Beatles Vinyl Box...sorry. cut from 44.1 Khz digital files...

[Gregadd]

Mike You are working with an electron microscope examining primary samples. You see things others don't. They have a hobby store microscope examinnig copies.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Speaking for Tim, after reading each of your posts, it appears he extrapolated from your actual words, apparently incorrectly. His post suggests he is referring to the population at large, or even just of music and Beatles lovers, whereas you are specifically referring to people who listen to LP's.

Now each of you may have actually meant something different, but that's what your words say.

i would certainly agree that the general public does not care about mono Lps and would assume they don't sound as good.

however; this Beatles box set is aimed at people who play Lps; so that is who we are talking about.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike You are working with an electron microscope examining primary samples. You see things others don't. They have a hobby store microscope examinnig copies.

 

[vinylphilemag]

I for one won"t be buying this LP set.

Same here. I'm not a huge Beatles fan anyway, so this is a death knell to any plans I may have had to acquire this set.

 

[Bill Hart]

I wouldn't mind a complete set of the Beatles on vinyl if it was the best possible product that could be produced. We have had a wealth of reissued/remastered vinyl in the last few years that has been wonderful sounding, sometimes pricey, but very impressive, sonically. I appreciate the practical exigencies here, difficulties in getting approvals, etc. But, if the measure is the best possible version on vinyl, it doesn't sound like this is the ticket. And, since the only source on my main system is vinyl, I'm not debating whether digital is better than analog here, I certainly have some records that were digitally mastered, and they vary in quality, just like all analog ones do.
I do have a few older MFSL that i bought back in the day- Abbey Road, White Album. I didn't think they were wonderful but I was never particularly enamoured of the MF records, even the UHQRs. So, I doubt I'd be motivated at this point to buy the MoFi set.
So, apart from the Parlaphone set - which only goes up to what, Magical Mystery Tour, there really is no alternative, is there? (And, are the Parlaphone records complete albums? I know there are differences in the Beatles album releases between UK and US).
Finally, any differences in pressing plants among the boxed sets? I presume all the MoFi stuff was pressed at the same place?
Ditto on Parlaphone set?
And what about this latest set? Are there differences between what is offered in the UK vs the US?

 

[Bruce B]

Hi

Before knowing this LP were from Digital "masters" I am interested to know what were some LP lovers impression of the release. I have too many times seen the following reaction, to not call it out.. Person X waxes poetic about a Vinyl release. Great sound, Immense Soundstage, Body and organic everything .. Person Y comes with the information that is was sourced from digital... Same Person X backpedals violently and now there is a chorus against the LP which previously was all great and Organic, they usually go like that : It is is OK "for a digital" but LP release from xxxx is indeed superior ...

This is the same crap... ( and some of the same people) that happend when people found out that alot of SACD's were just upsampled CD's!!

 

[NorthStar]

..................................................................................
-- SaD

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

And what about this latest set? Are there differences between what is offered in the UK vs the US?

I'm not sure about differences between the UK and US sets, but...

The sets sold in Canada and USA are plated at RTI and pressed at Rainbo in USA.
The sets sold everywhere else in the world are plated and pressed at Optimal in Germany.

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Tim,

respectfully; i'm not sure exactly what you are referring to with the 'i seriously doubt that'.

the view about the respect for mono pressings of the early Beatles albums?

that this new Lp box set only needs to be better than the digital.

that there are different viewpoints based on one's reference.

i don't see any of those views as elitist. sorry if i'm not getting your point.

Mike

added edit;

re-reading your post i see that my perspective on the early mono's is what you are referring to.

i was not any sort of mono lover on early Beatles Lps until i heard one compared to good early stereo versions. it's not close. the stereo is mostly ping pong anyway for these albums.

there are many fans of the Beatles Lps who don'y consider themselves audiophiles who prefer the mono's. and i would say that of those people who have an interest and have investigated it, most prefer the monos.

that is just my opinion as to how most Lp listening Beatles fans view things.

i would also say if you came to my home and we played my mono Revolver or Rubber Soul and i did not tell you that it was mono, you would have no clue. it's that good.

My communications skills must have been way off yesterday, Mike. I didn't mean to say you were being elitist, only that I thought you were responding to the opinions of a few vinyl-loving hobbyists. There's nothing elitist about liking what you like. And I didn't really mean to make a mono vs stereo point either. I own both the mono and stereo remaster sets, and prefer the mono for many recordings. I only meant to say that, in my experience, most music lovers, Beatles lovers, recordings fans and even audiophiles who are not specifically vinyl-centric the remasters are the best-sounding versions of The Beatles catalog. I've only heard a couple of the old Parlaphone monos myself. They're pretty good. Perhaps the best of the vinyl era, though I didn't have the opportunity to compare them directly with others. But to my ear, and to the ears of many absolute, hard-core, music/recording/Beatles freaks the remasters have better detail, clarity, punch and presence than any other releases I've heard, including the Parlaphones. Especially the monos.

Tim

 

[Shaffer]

I am interested to know what were some LP lovers impression of the release.

I probably qualify as an LP lover. I bought the box. Preordered it from ED and received it on Tuesday. I've played all, but the first three albums at this point. The LPs are flat and quiet. As far as other pressings, I have a few titles that I bought as a kid in the 70s, some 80s pressings, several 90s reissues, and Anthologies 2&3 (all US). Just playing the new records and listening to music, in a general sense, the sound rages from good to excellent. Significantly better than anything else I have. Could the originals be better? Sure, why not. Or the Blue Box? Could be. I really don't know. I can say with the utmost honesty that I'm very happy with the box and that I'm having a blast spinning the records and enjoying the sound. On some levels, I'm bonding with the music more than I have in ages. YMMV

Felix

 

[Frank750]

I probably qualify as an LP lover. I bought the box. Preordered it from ED and received it on Tuesday. I've played all, but the first three albums at this point. The LPs are flat and quiet. As far as other pressings, I have a few titles that I bought as a kid in the 70s, some 80s pressings, several 90s reissues, and Anthologies 2&3 (all US). Just playing the new records and listening to music, in a general sense, the sound rages from good to excellent. Significantly better than anything else I have. Could the originals be better? Sure, why not. Or the Blue Box? Could be. I really don't know. I can say with the utmost honesty that I'm very happy with the box and that I'm having a blast spinning the records and enjoying the sound. On some levels, I'm bonding with the music more than I have in ages. YMMV

Felix

I agree with Felix. I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how good they sound.

 

[NorthStar]

I probably qualify as an LP lover. I bought the box. Preordered it from ED and received it on Tuesday. I've played all, but the first three albums at this point. The LPs are flat and quiet. As far as other pressings, I have a few titles that I bought as a kid in the 70s, some 80s pressings, several 90s reissues, and Anthologies 2&3 (all US). Just playing the new records and listening to music, in a general sense, the sound rages from good to excellent. Significantly better than anything else I have. Could the originals be better? Sure, why not. Or the Blue Box? Could be. I really don't know. I can say with the utmost honesty that I'm very happy with the box and that I'm having a blast spinning the records and enjoying the sound. On some levels, I'm bonding with the music more than I have in ages. YMMV

Felix

---- Great post Felix; thank you for sharing. :b

 

[FrantzM]

I probably qualify as an LP lover. I bought the box. Preordered it from ED and received it on Tuesday. I've played all, but the first three albums at this point. The LPs are flat and quiet. As far as other pressings, I have a few titles that I bought as a kid in the 70s, some 80s pressings, several 90s reissues, and Anthologies 2&3 (all US). Just playing the new records and listening to music, in a general sense, the sound rages from good to excellent. Significantly better than anything else I have. Could the originals be better? Sure, why not. Or the Blue Box? Could be. I really don't know. I can say with the utmost honesty that I'm very happy with the box and that I'm having a blast spinning the records and enjoying the sound. On some levels, I'm bonding with the music more than I have in ages. YMMV

Felix

Thank you Shaffer! You should post more here.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I probably qualify as an LP lover. I bought the box. Preordered it from ED and received it on Tuesday. I've played all, but the first three albums at this point. The LPs are flat and quiet. As far as other pressings, I have a few titles that I bought as a kid in the 70s, some 80s pressings, several 90s reissues, and Anthologies 2&3 (all US). Just playing the new records and listening to music, in a general sense, the sound rages from good to excellent. Significantly better than anything else I have. Could the originals be better? Sure, why not. Or the Blue Box? Could be. I really don't know. I can say with the utmost honesty that I'm very happy with the box and that I'm having a blast spinning the records and enjoying the sound. On some levels, I'm bonding with the music more than I have in ages. YMMV

Felix

I agree with Felix. I'm actually pleasantly surprised at how good they sound.

Thank you both for your sharing your impressions of the new boxset with us. I personally place much greater value on the opinion of those who have heard them and judge them accordingly. While other reissues may or may not be better is of no consequence as it's THIS boxset I want to hear about. I will likely not buy this as I have other priorities, but perhaps a few single LP's are possible.

 

[DaveyF]

I have collected Beatles LP's for decades and I'm still hunting for one that was either a) well recorded or b) had any a'phile qualities whatsoever. My original vee jay mono and stereo LP's have zero a'phile qualities. Same with my parlophone's, not worth listening to unless your'e in a nostalgic mood..BTW, anyone here own a 'Butcher' Lp?

 

[mep]

I have collected Beatles LP's for decades and I'm still hunting for one that was either a) well recorded or b) had any a'phile qualities whatsoever.

I don't understand either of those statements. This sounds like the classic definition of an audiophile who is only in the 'game' for the sound and not the music. However, if you can seriously listen to Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Rubber Soul, and Abbey Road on EMI Parlaphone LPs and tell me these LPs aren't well recorded and have some 'audiophile' qualities (whatever that means), something is dead wrong in your system and everything that is in your LP playback chain needs to be looked at closely because something is seriously amiss. If you are looking for Telearc 1812 sonic fireworks or some other wowie-zowie audiophile sonic spectacular, then I guess the Beatle LPs aren't on the approved audiophile list of music designed to impress your friends and relatives.

My original vee jay mono and stereo LP's have zero a'phile qualities. Same with my parlophone's, not worth listening to unless your'e in a nostalgic mood..

To say that the Beatle LPs (at least the EMI Parlaphone ones) are not worth listening to is mind-blowing. I enjoy all of them, but then I am a Beatles' fan who happens to love their music. If you find them "not worth listening to unless you're in a nostalgic mood," that can only mean you really don't like the Beatles and/or your LP playback gear has some serious issues.

 

[NorthStar]

-- I love The Beatles, but me too I am not in love with the sound quality of my LPs and CDs.

 

[DaveyF]

-- I love The Beatles, but me too I am not in love with the sound quality of my LPs and CDs.

Thanks, Bob. Like I said, I'm not in love with the sound quality either. I suppose some people might like the over-processing, BUT not me.

 

[Soundproof]

There is such a thing as purity getting in the way of enjoyment, I guess.

Here's a selection of my best pressing Beatles recordings.
The Beatles for Sale Stereo is a marvel to listen to, 1st UK of the best stampers, and quite a few audiophiles who have been in my listening room have heard details in the voices that they've never heard before.
It ranks as their first well blended stereo recording, and it really is an ear-opener compared to other versions. The Beatles Hottest Hits is a limited Danish release with mono versions, also NM, and also quite a joy to listen to, in order to understand the craftsmanship of these recordings, and the sheer musicality.
These records are in a way the best preserved versions of the originals, I guess, as they've nearly not been played (not even spider-webs on the vinyl.)

They were given to me by my father, who had just had them tucked away for decades. I'm a Beatles fan, and have listened to a lot of Beatles recordings. Playing Hottest Hits and Beatles for Sale, in particular, was a revelation; Sgt. Pepper's is also the 1st UK pressing, and was also enjoyable, but not revealing as much of a difference between what I heard from the record and what I'd heard before, as the others.



The latest vinyl-release is the result of a work of musical archeology, where they have gone back to the best possible source material and sought to restore it as much as possible. To do so, they had to go via digital processing, and therefore we have a digital master.
I can't understand the purists who object to the vinyl then resulting from that master - and I enjoy sparing my originals with these new releases, while also discovering things that were unearthed during the Abbey archeology sessions.